Abstract
It has become clear over the last decade that the building industry must rapidly change to meet globally pressing requirements. The strong links between climate change and the environmental impact of architecture mean an urgent necessity for alternative design solutions. In order to propose them in this project, two emergent fabrication techniques were deployed with natural fiber-reinforced polymers (NFRPs), namely tailored fiber placement (TFP) and coreless filament winding (CFW). The approach is explored through the design and prototyping of a stool, as an analogue of the functional and structural performance requirements of an architectural system. TFP and CFW technologies are leveraged for their abilities of strategic material placement to create high-performance differentiated structure and geometry. Flax fibers, in this case, provide a renewable alternative for high-performance yarns, such as carbon, glass, or basalt. The novel contribution of this project is exploring the use of a TFP preform as an embedded fabrication frame for CFW. This eliminates the complex, expensive, and rigid molds that are traditionally associated with composites. Through a bottom-up iterative method, material and structure are explored in an integrative design process. This culminates in a lightweight FlexFlax Stool design (ca. 1 kg), which can carry approximately 80 times its weight, articulated in a new material-based design tectonic.
Highlights
The environmental impact of commercial construction and fabrication methods has been well documented
The tailored fiber placement (TFP) machine was used to produce a series of material test preforms and a first prototype to engage with the complexities of the machine and the specific data protocols required for production
The TFP machine was used to produce a series of material test preforms and fortoproduction
Summary
The environmental impact of commercial construction and fabrication methods has been well documented. The creation of complex forms, be it a wall or a chair, can become an especially resource-intensive exercise. This expense is in terms of the embodied energy of the artefact itself and the process required to produce it. This often occurs when materials are deployed in a simple, homogenous, Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 3278; doi:10.3390/app10093278 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci to create differentiated structure and geometry. This is typically done in an additive process and can result in products with a high specific strength. A superior strength‐to‐weight ratio can, in turn, translate into reduced material use, as well as reduced use of supporting materials, such as concrete or metals [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
